She teaches people about how to act and, more importantly, not act when they encounter a shark in the water.

She and her team observe behaviour, identify and tag sharks and share that data with researchers as well as state and federal officials. She said she previously swam with the huge shark on research trips to Guadalupe Island, Mexico.

She also leads cage-free shark diving tours.

Ocean Ramsey swims with a large great white shark (Image: AP)

Unlike many marine mammals, sharks are not a protected species, though there are laws against the sale of their fins.

"So there's not a lot of sympathy for sharks because of the way they're portrayed in media and they don't have the cute cuddly appearance," Ms Ramsey said. "You can't hate them for being predators. We need them for healthy marine ecosystems."

Ms Ramsey and Mr Oliphant want to make sure that people realise that shark bites are uncommon.

"The idea that they see people as a food source, that is rubbish and that needs to go away because really that is ultimately leading to the demise of these animals," Mr Oliphant said.